Tornado™ Classic Lacquer Rollerball Pen - Black

Context: My Bic clicker of some years was finally running out of ink and I decided to get an upscale replacement to serve writing duty at my desk. I wanted a thicker pen for better comfort that didn't have a click mechanism or a cap. I have somewhat large hands (roughly 4" by 8" with my palm outstretched and fingers kept together).The Retro 51 Tornado is surprisingly well-weighted and balanced for its size. At just under 5", it's the shortest writing utensil I have in my possession, 1/4" smaller than my Cross Century mechanical pencil. It weighs more than my aluminum and brass lead holder, and that weight is centered right before the end of the clip. The base of the cone protecting the rollerball is roughly 9mm across, and the barrel widens from that point up to the other end of the pen.All of the properties listed above make the usage of this pen one of the most comfortable writing experiences I've yet to find in any writing utensil. The center of gravity is placed right at the base of my index finger where I pivot the pen, making it easy to maneuver despite its weight. The taper allows me to hold the pen with minimal force without worry of sliding.The fit and finish is excellent. Nothing rattles and the twist action is smooth and well-weighted. The barrel is quite stiff and doesn't flex when I try to bend it. It takes roughly 2 pounds of force deflect the clip 1mm.The included rollerball cartridge delivers ink much like how I would expect a fountain pen to do so. The ink flows freely and a small amount of pressure is enough to produce a full-bodied stroke. In a 100 letter writing test, all of the characters came out plainly legible and I did not have to redo any strokes. Some strokes outside of that writing test did appear thin, though I'm not sure if that was simply the result of bad writing angle or an actual hiccup from the rollerball.I wouldn't recommend this pen for use with thin paper. At least with my example, the ink often bled through common college-ruled stuff.I like this pen a lot. All the features and properties seem to fit my use case and I look forward to writing more with it. The overall workmanship of the pen points to it lasting a very long time in my possession. I'll update this review when I reach a milestone or if anything changes with the pen.07/09/2020 Update: I recently tried writing a page with this pen on some softer, heavier weight acid-free paper, but I found the rollerball struggling to consistently deliver ink, especially over areas on the page where I've rested my hand. The pen still writes fine over thin paper, however. It seems the ball is getting caught on the thicker paper, preventing the cartridge from dispensing ink properly. Writing lighter and at a more perpendicular angle seems to help, but I cannot in good conscience recommend this pen for use with soft, thick paper. I still like this pen a lot, but if I am to exhaust the cartridge, I will have to reconsider what cases I will use this pen for. No big deal. It's about time I got a fountain pen anyhow.Post-script:Besides being immediately less fiddly, the twist-action prevents the coil spring from ever decompressing at its maximum return speed. Only time will tell how long the mechanism will last, though I felt this would at least be more reliable than some click mechanism designs.In researching and selecting a pen I was more concerned about the quality of the enclosure and cartridge compatibility than the included cartridge itself (actually, the fact that it appears to be functioning so well is a little bittersweet. I wanted to try filling it with fountain pen ink, but I guess that'll have to wait some months).For everyday carry, I probably wouldn't take this pen—or any pen that doesn't have a solid cap for that matter. Ball pen cartridges in general don't seem as reliable as fountain pen reservoirs. I don't think failure will happen anytime soon with my example, but I'm not going to take any chances on my favorite dress shirt, at least not yet.

I'm going to leave my original review below, even though my stars are going 2 -> 5. I wrote with this pen for a week and the ink eventually stopped skipping. I think it's crazy that a $40 pen ships in this state, but I must say how much I love writing with it now. Easily one of my favorites. But this. If you experience what I did (below) ride it out. Worth it.Great pen, did not expect skipping ink. Literally skips every 3 words or 2 inches of ink. One of the worst writing experiences I have ever had with a pen. Not just on "cheap" paper either as rollerball fans will be quick to point out to others, expensive Moleskine and "Field Notes" brand notebooks as well. When you pay $36 for a pen that doesn't write as well as the cheapest rollerball or ballpoint it is unacceptable. Doesn't seem common for this product so maybe it was stored or shipped improperly.

This is a Beautiful Pen!! I needed a Rollerball to join my Fountain Pens to make my Everyday Carry Pen Case complete. The pen feels good in the hand. Writing for long periods of time does not strain my hand using this pen. I Love this pen!.. and it’s very easy to get refills for the pen!

In the winter of 2016 I purchased eight stainless steel pens from amazon that were all under $20. I was on a mission to find the perfect writing instrument.For many years I exclusively used plastic black pilot G2 .07 or .1 line weight gel ball point pens. which is a damn good pen. I still use them all the time. However I was on the search for something better.Why??Because 4-5 days a week I spend at least an hour journaling or writing things in my note book. I wanted to find a special pen, exclusively for this journaling practice I have cultivated.When I received all my stainless steel pens and placed them side by side and tried them all out, it was really a no brainer. the Retro 1951 Tornado Pen won the gold medal and is officially now my writing pen. I quickly gifted away all the other loser stainless steel pens to my friends and never told them why.Here's 5 reasons why I love the the Retro 1951 Tornado Pen# 1 - It's just flat out handsome. This is a very masculine looking pen. They have several colors and designs but I highly recommend the stainless steel model, because it's just gorgeous. The top and bottom have a polished finish, while the pens body has a nice brushed finish which feels good to touch. the oil from your hands won't leave prints on the brushed finish.# 2 - It feels great holding it. What I love most is that It has a little bit of weight to it, but it's not too heavy, it's just right.. I have a heavy hand. I learned this drawing in architecture school working with Rapidiographs. Naturally when I write or hand draw, my lines are heavy, bold and hard. It took me a lot of practice to get good drawing light and delicate line work. Writing with this slightly heavier pen feels right. I feel like a boss holding this pen. It's perfect for signing drawings or anything else you sign.# 3 - Its reusable. Just pop off the tip replace the ink cartridges which are a couple of bucks. You can buy them from amazon in bulk. Rather then creating more plastic trash. The ink cartridges are less then half the waste of a plastic throw away pens.# 4 - you won't lose it. Most of my life, I wore cheap crappy sunglasses until one day invested in a quality pair of ray bans. It felt great to wear quality sunglasses, but even more importantly I'm neurotic about losing them. So I never do. My relationship with this nice pen is the same thing. In fact, I won't let anyone else even use it. I just say "no sorry, I don't have a pen." If someone asks, because I know they won't give it back.#5 - Its cheap. This pen is only $20, but it feels like a pile of 100 dollar bills wrapped around a ball point pen. Ok fine I'm just being dramatic, it's really just a stainless steel pen.Whenever I ask people to guess how much this pen costs they say between $75-100. Which is why It makes an excellent gift.

Picked up this new pen to replace one from 25yrs ago I finally wore out after carrying nearly daily for 2.5 decades. New one isn’t as heavy, the knurling is slightly different. Just minor things. I like the old one better. YMMV. Still 5 stars because it isn’t a bad pen in any way shape or form.